Composing machine



y 9, 1959 E. s. LARSON 2,887,214

COMPOSING MACHINE Filed Sept. 20. 1956 INVENTOR EDWARD S. LARSON ATTORNEY plex rail.

United States Patent COMPOSING MACHINE Edward S. Larson, Chicago, 111., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Fairchild Camera and Instrument 'Corporation, Syosset, N.Y., a corporation of Delaware Application September 20, 1956, Serial No. 610,962 4 Claims. .(Cl. 199-29) The present invention relates to composing machines and more particularly to automatically controlled linecasting machines.

' The present invention is an improvement in the com posing machine disclosed in United States Patent No. 1,970,567, issued on August 21, 1934, to Mr. L. M. Potts, which patent is made a part hereof by reference.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved selector or control mechanism for cooperation with a linecasting machine to assemble type matrices in response to a perforated tape controlled transmitter.

In the operation of a composing machine provided with a duplex rail device each matrix contains the die of two characters. The two characters are usually bold face and roman face, or possibly italics. The selection of one of these two type faces is dependent upon whether or not the matrix is assembled above or below the du- Since it takes some time for the selected matrix to get to the assembler or assembling elevator,

it has been necessary in the past to stop operation of the reading unit after the last character preceding the rail shift signal has been selected to allow sutlicient time for the matrix to reach the assembler and be positioned.

This requires about three character selection cycles,

hence that time is lost to the operation of the machine.

With the present invention it is possible to select the rail shift combination immediately and follow it with reading of the subsequent characters. This is made possible through a delay mechanism which permits the last selected matrix to be assembled after the selection but before the shift takes place, and which can be so timed to be effective just prior to the first shifted character which, of course, can be selected while those matrices preceding the shift signal are being moved to the assembler.

A further object of this invention is to provide a time delay which can be varied to provide the optimum delay between the time of selection of the rail shift and the time of actual movement of the duplex rail.

These and other objects of this invention will be apparent from the following description when read in conjunction with the drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of a duplex rail and rail shift mechanism on a composing machine;

; Fig. '2 is a perspective view of the matrices and the duplex rail; and

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic representation of the control circuit for shifting the duplex rail. p, As set forth above, most linecasting machine matrices are provided with two types of letters orcharacters. The purpose of this construction is to accommodate two classes of type in the same magazine and avoid transfer delay which would obviously result from using two separate magazines. In accordance with the well known construction an assembly elevator 11 (Figs. 1 and 2) is provided with two longitudinal rails 12 and 13, the upper rail 13 being so constructed as to be presented or withdrawn from the ingress end of the assembly block 11.

, 2,887,214 Patented May 19, 1959 When the upper rail 13 is presented at the ingress end of the block 11, a projection 14 on the matrices 16 rides on the upper rail. If the upper rail 13 is not presented, the projection 14 rides on the lower rail 12 to vary the position of the matrix and thereby selectively set up one or the other of the characters on the matrix.

Referring now to Fig. 1, a pair of control magnets 17 and 18 are suitably mounted on the frame of a linecasting machine with the assembly block 11 mounted on the elevator portion so as tov move with the assembly elevator 11 and to be a predetermined distance above the magnets 17 and 18 at its lowermost or assembling position. The movable upper rail 13 is slidably mounted on the assembly block 11 and is normally urged in an unoperated, leftward (Fig. 1) position by a spring 19. A T-shaped armature 21 is pivotally mounted on the assembly elevator 11 at a pivot point 22. The upper extension 23 of the armature 21 is associated with a peg 24 on the upper rail 13 in such a manner that when the armature 21 is rotated in a clockwise (Fig. 1) direction by the upper rail control magnet 18, the upper rail 13 is moved, against the urging of its spring 19, toward the right (Fig. l). A spring loaded detent 26 is suitably fastened to the assembly elevator 11 so as to hold the armature 23 in whatever position it is moved to as a result of either magnet 17 or 18 being energized in response to an upper or lower rail signal. It is common practice to begin each line in the lower rail position. To accomplish this, a fixed stop 27 is positioned on the frame of the composing machine in the path of the assembly elevator 11 so that as a completed line is moved up to the delivery position the armature 21 confacts the stop and is rotated counterclockwise to the low er rail position and is held there by the detent 26.

Referring now to Fig. 3, the control circuit for energizing the rail shift operating magnets 17 and 18 include switches 53 and 28, respectively, which are operated in the manner which is well known in the art by the selection of an actuating lever by a predetermined permutation of code signals. More specifically, the insulated tip of contact 28 engages the tip of lever 30, which is analogous to one of the levers 20, shown in Fig. 6 of said Patent 1,970,567, arranged to move the contact 28 instead of tripping a matrix release device. Similarly, contact 53 is arranged to be operated by lever 50, similar to lever 30, but responding to a different code setting of the permutation bars of the selector shown in Figs. 4 to 7 of said Patent 1,907,567. Thus, selectable bars 30 and 50 exemplify a selector of the type disclosed in said patent. As stated in said patent, it will be noted that this arrangement functions like a shift mechanism. If contact 28 is closed, all of the matrices will thereafter rest on the upper rail 13; and if contact 53 is closed, the matrices will thereafter rest on the lower rail 12, until the condition is again changed by the operation of contact 28. Thus contacts 28 and 53 are controlled by a selector device of the type shown in Patent 1,970,567.

A delay relay 29 is positioned to be energized by the closing of the switch 28 and has two transfer contacts 31 and 32 associated therewith. A resistor 33 is connected between a source of positive battery 34 and the conductor 36 which connects the terminal 37 of the transfer contact 31 and the terminal 38 of the transfer contact 32. A condenser 39 is connected across a constant resistor 41 and a variable resistor or rheostat 42. A conductor 45 connects the terminal 44 of the transfer contact 31 with a relay 46 which has a make contact 47 associated therewith for connecting the upper rail magnet 18 to a source of positive battery 48 through a conductor 49. A condenser 51 is connected in the conductor 43.

An identical circuit is shown for operation of the lower rail magnet 17 wherein a relay 52 is energized by the closing of a switch 53 to attract the transfer contacts 54 and 56 to the terminals 57 and 58, respectively, to thereby establish a charging circuit'through a condenser 59, and also establish a temporary holding circuit for the relay 52.

When an upper rail shift signal is sensed by the reading device (not shown) the switch 28 is closed momentarily by the selecting mechanism in any of the ways well known in the printing telegraph art.

The closing of the switch 28 energizes the relay 29 thereby connecting the transfer contacts 31 and 32 to the terminals 37 and 35, respectively. Prior to the contact 32 being moved from the terminal 38, the condenser 39 has been charged to a value dependent upon the source of positive battery 34, the value of the resistor 41, and the setting of the rheostat 42. It holds its charge through the conductor 62 and the source of positive battery 63. While the relay 29 is in the operated position, the condenser 51 is charged through the transfer contact 31, the terminal 37, and the conductor 43. Upon opening of the switch 28, the relay 29 does not immediately release because the current for holding it operated is available from the condenser 39 and will hold the relay 29 energized until the charge on the condenser is dissipated below a holding current for the relay 29.

The rate of dissipation is governed by the setting of the rheostat 42. Upon release of the relay 29, the transfer contact 31 returns to the terminal 44 thereby discharging the condenser 51 through the relay 46 to momentarily energize the relay 46 and draw up the make contact 47 to energize the magnet 18 from the source of positive battery 48.

In operation, the linecasting machine is assumed to be in a lower rail position with the matrices 16 being moved in the manner fully set forth in Patent No. 1,970,567. As set forth above, the travel time of an individual matrix to the assembler is approximately three character cycles in duration. When it is desired to shift into upper rail, the rail shift indicia is placed in the control tapeimmediately following the characters which are to be molded in lower rail and no provision is required to stop the reader subsequent to the reading of the rail shift indicia. The reading of the shift indicia closes the switch 28 to initiate the circuit described above. The timing is controlled by the rheostat 42 to allow the desired length of time to transpire for the matrices preceding the rail shift to arrive at the assembler. Closing of the contact 47 energizes the upper rail magnet 18 thereby causing the armature 23 to be rotated clockwise and move the upper rail 13 into the ingress portion of the assembler 11, to thereby guide the matrices 16 to an upper rail position.

While the present invention has been described in a specific embodiment, it is apparent that it may be modified without change in the scope or spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In a typographical composing machine utilizing a plurality of two-character matrices, selector means, matrix assembling means, a duplex rail in said matrix assembling means for positioning said matrices in a predetermined vertical position, armature means for operating said duplex rail, a circuit including a condenser for energizing said armature means, a power circuit controlled by said selector means for charging said condenser, and a circuit including a second condenser and a variable resistance for discharging said first recited condenser through said armature means a predetermined amount of time after energization of said power circuit.

2. An actuating device for a control instrumentality on a typographical composing machine comprising: a selector means for controlling said composing machine, a relay circuit, switch means controlled by said selector means for momentarily energizing said relay circuit, a condenser circuit controlled by said relay circuit, said condenser circuit including a variable resistor for holding said relay circuit energized a predetermined length of time after the release of said switch means, magnet means, a constant capacitor circuit conditioned for operating said magnet means upon the energization of said relay means, said constant capacitor circuit adapted to be operated by the opening of said relay circuit to energize said magnet means, and an armature operated by said magnet means to operate said control instrumentality, whereby a predetermined length of delay may be selected between the operation of said selector means and the movement of the control instrumentality.

3. A device for controlling the vertical positioning of matrices in the assembler of a typographical composing machine which comprises: a selector means for controlling said machine; a duplex rail operable to guide thvertical positioning of said matrices; magnet means for operating said duplex rail; a constant capacitor circuit for operating said magnet means; a circuit including a relay adapted to charge said constant capacitor circuit upon operation of said relay and discharge it upon release thereof; means actuated by said selector means for momentarily energizing said relay; and a variable capacitor circuit adapted to be connected to said relay by operation of said relay for holding said relay operated during the discharge of said capacitor, whereby a predetermined delay is obtained between the operation of saidselector means and the actuation of said duplex rail.

4. A device for controlling the vertical positioning of matrices in the assembler of a typographical composing machine: a selector means for controlling said machine; a duplex rail operable to guide said matrices to their upper position; magnet means for operating said duplex rail; a first relay having a first and second transfer contact associated therewith; said first and second transfer contacts having an operated position when said first relay is energized and an unoperated position when said first relay is unenergized; a second relay operable to energize said magnet means; a capacitor circuit including said first transfer contact in its unoperated position connected 'to said second relay; a capacitor charging circuit adapted to be connected to said capacitor circuit by said first transfer contact in its operated position; a variable resistance capacitance circuit adapted to be connected either to said charging circuit by said second transfer contact in its unoperated position or to said first relay in its operated position; and means actuated by said selector means to momentarily actuate said first relay, whereby said first relay is held actuated a predetermined length of time by said variable resistance capacitor circuit to provide a variable length of delay between the operation of the selector means and the movement of the duplex rail.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,097,707 Drewell May 26, 1914 1,920,832 Ackerman et a1. Aug. 1, 1933 1,970,567 Potts Aug. 21, 1934 2,062,306 Goetz Dec. 1, 1936 2,029,622 Kelly Feb. 4, 1936 2,182,130 Lubcke Dec. 5, 1939 2,339,750 Bartholy Jan. 25, 1944 2,659,844 Matthews Nov. 17, 1953 

